Press and Events

EMBRAER PLANS TO EXPAND ITS OPERATIONS IN THE US

Conteúdo

São José dos Campos, May 13, 2008 – Embraer announced, today, in the presence of Mayor Harry Goode, of the City of Melbourne, Florida, Governor Charlie Crist of the State of Florida, Enterprise Florida, and other state and local officials, that it plans to invest an estimated US$ 50 million for the establishment of a new facility in the United States dedicated to its executive jets business.

The new 150,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility will house a final assembly line, the first for Embraer in the U.S. It will be capable of producing both the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 executive jet models, as well as a paint shop and a delivery and customer design center.

After a rigorous and thorough site selection process, the preferred location for the project is Melbourne International Airport, in Melbourne, Florida, which best satisfies all applicable operational requirements and strategies. A Memorandum of Intent has been executed between all of the necessary parties, and a final decision is predicated on approval by the State and local governments.

Embraer expects to create approximately 200 skilled positions by 2011. These will be necessary to operate all aspects of the facility, including aircraft assembly, production planning, logistics and quality, aircraft interior design, corporate administration, engineering, and aircraft painting, delivery, and flight testing functions.

“Developing this new facility will allow Embraer to respond to the growing demands of its executive jets business and reaffirms our commitment to meet and exceed customer requirements and expectations,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President & CEO. “We are very excited and confident that our new location, in Melbourne, Florida, will be a successful step and a special milestone for the Company. We look forward to working with local officials to finalize the proposal and begin the development of this new facility.”

Mayor Harry Goode stated: “Embraer’s success all over the world is based on its commitment to its customers and the quality of its products. We believe the City of Melbourne and Melbourne International Airport (MLB) have all the elements for the Company’s continued success in the United States. A US$ 50 million capital investment in our city and at our airport will significantly add to our tax base at a critical time in our community’s history. I’m excited at the opportunity to finalize this package and move forward. There are also a multitude of added benefits for the community, since clients coming to the facility will likely spend in areas such as hotel accommodations, restaurant patronage and visiting local attractions. This could be a real win for Melbourne.”

“We welcome Embraer as a key player in Florida’s expanding aviation sector,” Governor Crist said. “With this announcement, the Sunshine State again demonstrates its ability to attract world-class companies able to compete in the competitive global economy.”

Lynda L. Weatherman, President & CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, said, “Today, we should all be proud. Embraer could have gone anywhere in the world for this important next step for their business, but they chose Melbourne, which is the highest compliment any company can bestow upon our community. They certainly recognized Melbourne for our strengths in not only a qualified and ready workforce, but in our business climate and necessary infrastructure. We still have a lot of work and considerations to ensure this comes to fruition, but I have faith our community will come forward strong to ensure a successful conclusion to this project and welcome Embraer to our community.”

Note to Editors

Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A. - NYSE: ERJ; Bovespa: EMBR3) is the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial jets up to 120 seats, and one of Brazil's leading exporters. Embraer's headquarters are located in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, and it has offices, industrial operations and customer service facilities in Brazil, the United States, France, Portugal, China and Singapore. Founded in 1969, the Company designs, develops, manufactures and sells aircraft for the Commercial Aviation, Executive Aviation, and Defense and Government segments. The Company also provides after sales support and services to customers worldwide. On March 31, 2008, Embraer had a workforce of 23,878 employees and a firm order backlog of US$ 20.3 billion.

This document may contain projections, statements and estimates regarding circumstances or events yet to take place. Those projections and estimates are based largely on current expectations, forecasts on future events and financial tendencies that affect Embraer’s businesses. Those estimates are subject to risks, uncertainties and suppositions that include, among others: general economic, political and trade conditions in Brazil and in those markets where Embraer does business; expectations on industry trends; the Company’s investment plans; its capacity to develop and deliver products on the dates previously agreed upon, and existing and future governmental regulations. The words “believe”, “may”, “is able”, “will be able”, “intend”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “expect” and other similar terms are supposed to identify potentialities. Embraer does not feel compelled to publish updates nor to revise any estimates due to new information, future events or any other facts. In view of the inherent risks and uncertainties, such estimates, events and circumstances may not take place. The actual results can therefore differ substantially from those previously published as Embraer expectations.